My rabbit won't eat! Please help

[Jason White]

I have an 8 year old agouti house rabbit named Cecilia. She is a big girl, 7 pounds and up until recently, she *lived* to eat. She lost her brother Maxie a month ago, but kept on trucking, eating and pooping as normal. Then, slowly her eating habits changed; she began grazing throughout the day instead of eating big meals at one time. More and more food and hay was being left uneaten. Then one morning, she was not eating at all, so off to the vet we went. With a regimen of critical care, baytril and reglan, we were able to get her out of immediate danger -- but then it became apparent that she was having difficulty eating on her own. She really wanted to eat, the appetite was there, but she was continuously picking up food, chewing it, then dropping it. The only success she had eating on her own was with cilantro and flat leaf parsley, and even then, not much went down. She was active, still grooming herself and drinking lots of water on her own. Thinking the cause was tooth spurs or molar issues, the vet gave her anesthesia and filed down two points they found on her very back teeth. We were told she should start eating on her own soon, but even with the help of metcam for pain, she is still doing the pick up chew and drop routine two days later a full set of X-rays showed nothing revealing. It's been one week since she first saw the vet; doctors and I are baffled and frustrated at this point. Cecilia is starting to lose interest in food again, she hasn't touched hay in a week at least. Her eyes are looking less bright, and I am feeling very defeated If anyone has any thoughts, theories or suggestions, I would love to hear them. Current meds/cc she is on:

Baytril 1 ml twice a day
Reglan 1 ml twice a day
Metcam 1 ml once a day
Critical care 4 feedings a day, as much as I can get in her (usually 20-25 ml)

 

[JBun]

If she seems interested in really wanting to eat, but is still having difficulty and is picking at her food, I would think that it would still have to be a dental issue, but they are just missing something. Maybe an infected tooth, maybe a molar spur way at the back of the mouth. Has the vet done another thorough exam of the mouth?

The only other thing I can thinK to suggest is a body xray and blood tests to make sure there isn't something internal going on that is causing this. You could also try and find a more experienced rabbit vet to get a second opinion, or have your vet find a specialist that they could consult with.

 

[pani]

I'm sorry I have nothing to add on top of Jenny's post, but Cecilia's in my thoughts. I hope her eating habits return to normal soon! ray:

 

[Nancy McClelland]

ray: Sounds like it could be dental, so, Xrays are needed. Also, she's not a youngster anymore.

 

[Sweetie]

It could be depression setting in if all the blood work and exams come back normal. Rabbits bond very deeply with other rabbits. If things come back normal, I would spend as much time with her as you can, it will help her cope with the loss of her brother. They can be fine at the start but later develop depression because they know that the other isn't coming back. I have been fortunate that Sweetie hasn't developed depression. Of course I spent an hour with her every night and every chance I got. Also Sweetie is an independent little bunny. Some rabbits can cope with the loss of their bond mate, bit others cannot and it takes them time to feel better about it. I was very fortunate in that Sweetie handled losing Prince so well. I hope Cecilia feels better soon.